Douglas continues to strengthen German and European e-commerce business through the acquisition of a majority stake in Parfümerie Akzente, one of the leading independent retailers of premium beauty and skincare products in Germany.

WHO: Founded by Kai Renchen in 2004 and owned by Parfümerie Akzente, Parfumdreams is an online shop and 28 brick-and-mortar stores in Germany, most of them in the southwestern region. In addition to its domestic market in Germany, online shop Parfumdreams operates in ten European countries including the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and France.

Douglas is a leading retailer in the European beauty industry with about 2,500 perfumeries and fast-growing online shops in 19 European countries. Douglas has a portfolio of some 35,000 high-quality products in the areas of perfumery, cosmetics, and skincare.

WHY: Douglas continues the implementation of its #ForwardBeauty strategy by strengthening its German and European e-commerce business. By acquiring the online pioneer Parfumdreams, Douglas sharpens its e-commerce focus, driving the digitalization of the business forward.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: “By acquiring the online pioneer Parfumdreams, we sharpen our e-commerce focus, drive forward the digitalization of our brand and thus strengthen our position as a top address for beauty and cosmetics in Europe,” says Tina Müller, CEO of Douglas. “The beauty market in Europe is growing—especially online. As one of the leading e-commerce platforms, we want to play an active role in shaping this growth going forward. Therefore the transaction is an important step in our future efforts to modernize Douglas in the context of our #FORWARDBEAUTY strategy.”

Kai Renchen, Managing Director of Parfumdreams, said: “In Douglas we have found the ideal partner for our company. Under the roof of one of the leading beauty retailers in Europe, Parfumdreams will be able to leverage its e-commerce know-how and unique service orientation even more extensively. We have become this successful through our extensive range of numerous large and many small brands and we will continue this path. Together with Douglas, we want to write another chapter in the Parfumdreams success story and accelerate our growth even further.”

DETAILS:

• Douglas acquires a majority stake in Parfümerie Akzent, owner of Parfumdreams.
• Parfümerie Akzente generated net sales of around 75 million Euros in 2017.
• Upon conclusion of the transaction, Douglas is planning to continue operating the successful online shop Parfumdreams under its current brand name.
• An effective two-brand strategy will allow Douglas to optimally cover customer segments with a tailored portfolio of products, complementary private labels, and personalized marketing strategies.
• Douglas will also be gaining valuable know-how in the transaction—Parfumdreams’ Managing Director Kai Renchen is set to remain in charge of the Parfumdreams business. He will also join the top management team of Douglas, contributing his considerable e-commerce expertise.